Stand Together
by tmntfan4eva
Summary: Dib has been feeling down lately as the bullying gets worse and he isn't fighting with Zim anymore. Zim can't handle being ignored and decides to do something about it. But in the end is it really to gain back an enemy? Or is it simply to help a friend?


**Have an Invader Zim story. Have it and be happy. I've recently gotten into this show and had to do something for it. I don't know if the people that watch me like this show or not, but maybe you'll read it anyway. And I'll say it once and say it again at the end - IT'S ZADF! ZaDF I say! ZaDF! *cough* Well, anyway, enjoy!**

It was Monday, the worst day of the week. It was the day it all started anew, the day he cursed his routine, his life, and even at times his very existence. More importantly, it was the day that the bullies were at their most vicious. They detested returning to skool and the only way they saw fit to quail this fury was to take it out on everyone else – most notably Dib.

He tried to fight back, but it was never any good. Fighting only made it worse. The bruises would be a shade darker and the blood run a little more heavily. So he ran, that is if he had the will. Sometimes he just didn't care. He thought maybe if he didn't react, if he showed no emotion – not fear, not hatred, not even hurt – then perhaps they would find a new victim. But they never did.

Sure occasionally Zim got the brunt of their anger too, but it was never the same. They weren't afraid of Zim per say, but Zim always managed to get out far better looking than the other kids and especially more so than himself. It couldn't be his robot equipment. Zim couldn't risk using it and the kids getting suspicious. Then what? Dib never understood it.

But he didn't really need to. All he needed to do was survive, and to do that he had to run. So he ran. Dib bolted from the double doors of the skool. He leapt over all of the stairs, landing with but a soft grunt. He snapped back up and shot into a sprint.

His feet pounded on the concrete as he made his agonizing journey and his heart beat like mad in his chest. He swore he could even hear it in his ears, nothing but his own heavy and panicked breathing breaching it.

"DIB!" A boy's thick voice split the air. It was him – the leader. Dib sucked in a breath unintentionally, causing him to cough and splutter as well as falter. He stumbled in his sudden fit of coughing, making strange almost hopping steps as he struggled to remain on his feet. His arms even flailed dramatically, trying to find something to stable himself with.

"After him!" The same boy said, pointing an angry, shaking finger at Dib's retreating form. The sound of a group of furious footsteps split the air with not a moment of hesitation. The noise roared in Dib's ears, sounding more to him like a stampede of hungry, blood thirty animals than that of his feelow classmates.

Dib was falling forward when his hand found support. He grasped the brick structure that the fence was set on and never missed a beat. He pulled himself around the curve of it and let go, propelling himself further down the sidewalk.

The cries of the bullies were getting closer still. His hysteria continued to climb. It was getting harder and harder to breathe. He was feeling a bit lightheaded despite himself. His experience was failing him in this moment. He even felt his pace slowing, as if he were suddenly in quicksand.

Then they had him. One of the boys launched themselves with the force of their next step and tackled Dib. Once they hit the ground they boy smashed his hands on Dib's shoulder, keeping him pinned facedown. "I got him!" He cried over his shoulder, a look of pure malice spreading across his face as his lips twisted and eyes alighted.

Dib made a pained noise as his face plowed the hard, unforgiving concrete. He felt his skin peel and the red color of blood start to surface on the tear. He was not done yet though. This was one boy. He could do this. He could! He wriggled with all his might to try and escape the boy's hold. He kicked and bucked. But he didn't scream. No help would come. His energy was better put to use elsewhere.

The boy grumbled as Dib's head smacked into his, busting his lip. He wouldn't let go though. He needed to use this geek to relieve all this stress. And Dib was the easiest target. He was weak, feeble minded, and easy to bruise. As long as he held him a moment more, the others would be here.

Dib made incoherent noises as he continued to fight. He twisted himself half around and bent his head back. He opened his mouth wide and thrust his head forward, sinking his teeth into the boy's arm. He went for blood, like they did every day. He shook his head vigorously, praying to break the skin. Then he tasted it – the metallic liquid.

The boy's scream split the air. He was not used to Dib fighting back like this. He raised his free arm, risking losing Dib altogether, and smashed his fist into Dib's jaw.

Dib groaned, accidentally relinquishing his hold. However he still had not lost. The boy's strike gave him his chance. He kicked one final time and scrambled on all fours out from under the boy. He scurried to his feet, stumbling slightly, and ran again.

But it was no use. Another boy was there. He reached out and slammed his open palm into Dib's back. He laughed coldly as he watched him lose his balance and hit the ground once more. "Better keep a better grip next time." He warned the first boy.

Dib pressed up on all fours, ready to attempt another run while he was still untouched.

The second boy did not give him any longer. He jumped toward him and snatched his arms, twisting them at an odd angle. He twisted and twisted until it almost hurt just looking at the strange and painful position. "Too slow." He hissed.

Dib knew it was pointless, but it was too agonizing. His lips curled apart and a blood curdling scream ripped from his throat. He lifted his head to the sky and screamed even louder. Tears itched at his eyes, but he refused to be **that** weak. He clenched his eyes shut tight, forcing back the evidence.

The rest of the gang had caught up to him now. The boy twisting his arms released him and they enclosed him in a circle, staring down with matching expressions at his helpless position and hopeless situation. Their eyes glinted with undying malevolence and their lips curved up into cruel and heartless grins. Their hands flexed in anticipation before curling into deadly fists.

"NO!" Dib screamed. Useless or not, he always somehow ended up doing it. "LEAVE ME ALONE!" He threw up his arms in front of his face in a last move to protect himself. It was pathetic, he did not deny it. Still, he was only a child. He felt fear more strongly than adults or even teenagers and if this feeble attempt helped at all, he would do it. Pride, especially for him, was not an issue. He was already an outcast, he already had nothing. What did it mean to not be able to be proud of his fighting capabilities? Life preservation was all that mattered.

They all cackled maniacally, spit flying from their mouths. The leader snapped his hands out then, grabbing Dib's arms with ease. He signaled the others to start moving and then he jerked Dib along. He dragged his across the concrete, farther and farther from the direction of home.

Dib screeched all the way – from pain, from emotional turmoil, and from fear of the coming torture. He skin tore up from the resistance of the concrete. More blood surfaced on the tore flesh, occasionally dotting the ground. The only times his screaming stopped, or at least hitched, was when one of the kids decided to kick him. Then he'd gasp or moan a moment before going at it again.

His cries annoyed them to no end. They wished they could duck tape his stupid mouth shut. But then the fun would be gone as well. What was it worth to hurt a man when he made no sound in response? That was all the fun. Hearing his tortured screams and pleading words gave them a sick thrill, a strange sensation somewhere close to happiness and insanity.

Dib never gave up, not for an instant. He might have fought a little harder though, perhaps even escaped, if he'd known he was no alone. Close to where he'd first been tackled lurked another. His eyes watched from just around the corner and he scrutinized them all. He didn't even once consider helping, no, NEVER! He did however find himself interested in whether or not the Dib could fight his way out.

It became quickly apparent that he could not though, and Zim quickly lost interest. He scoffed, sounding a single syllable laugh. "Pitiful human." He strode on, down the sidewalk. Still, he found himself glancing back every so often. Deep down a part of him expected Dib to come flying around the corner at any moment, running again. But he didn't.

Zim made it all the way home and he didn't see or hear from Dib. He sighed, frowning deeply. He pushed the door open and went to the couch, propping his arm on the shoulder and placing his head in his hand. He was sorely disappointed in the Dib filth. He hadn't chased him down in a solid two weeks and it was getting ridiculous. He figured what he'd seen minutes before was the reason. Still! It was no excuse! How was he supposed to take over the world without the stupid human mocking him and being all paranoid, even when he really planned nothing? HOW!

Zim just knew he couldn't take it much longer. Something had to be done. He vowed to do that something. "VOW IT!" He burst out, throwing his arms into the air. "The Dib won't ignore me any longer." He brought his hands down in front of his face and tapped them in a scheming manner. "Yeees." His eyes narrowed and a grin flicked across his mouth.

**…**

It was Tuesday now. The class was outside doing their own thing. As usual they were all separated into groups. Unlike usual, however, was the fact that the bullies were off to themselves. They bothered no one. Dib could not have been happier, although he certainly didn't look it. He appeared to be quite sullen, depressed even. He sat in loneliness on the short brick wall surrounding the skool. His head hung sadly, his eyes glued to the ground, and his shoulders slumped.

He sighed softly through cracked lips. Dried blood stained them. His eyes were half closed from the punches they had received, his cheeks were puffy and purpling, and his arms bore splotches up and down them. They were simply hidden beneath his clothes. If only he could enjoy this reprieve. If only he didn't have to fear every moment of his skool life.

Zim wasn't in the mood to bother with the other kids and his eyes quickly came to land on Dib. He took in his dismal position as well as the marks covering him and even he couldn't help but cringe faintly. He hurriedly shook off the feeling and strode over to him, his head held especially high and smirk stretched full across his face. "You are most pathetic Dib filth!" He proclaimed, pointing a finger at him as he came to a stop in front of him. "Letting those human worm babies do this to you!"

Dib ignored him for a moment, not feeling up to dealing with him per usual. Then it hit him like a dodge ball in the face. His head snapped up and his eyes shot open as wide as they could go. "Wait." He growled. "You…you were there!" He jumped down to his feet, standing level with Zim.

"Of course I was there." Zim said with a laugh in his voice. "What better to do than to watch you in misery!" He thrust his head back and cackled. He stopped just as suddenly as he started, expression growing serious. "You are quite pathetic you know." He crossed his arms over his chest and looked disapprovingly at him.

"How could you!" Dib stamped a foot. "You were **there**! And you just **watched**!" Dib seethed.

"Must I repeat myself?" Zim raised an invisible brow. "I told you – it was amusing." Also he was testing Dib. If the human could deal with him, an alien, why should he struggle with mere humans? "And honestly, what brain worm has eaten away at you to make you even THINK that ZIM would help? EVER!"

Dib's hands clenched into quaking fists. "You monster!" He snarled. "Just look at me!" He jerked his hand up to point a trembling finger at his own face. "And imagine what you can't see!" He shoved his head forward, an inch from Zim's face. "And you know what it feels like. I've seen them beat you up too."

"Yes, yes, it is quite horrific. NOW GET YOUR HORRIFIC SMELLY FACE AWAY FROM ME!" He slammed his hand on Dib's face and pushed him with all force away from him. "And how DARE you even think that I, ZIM, could let a stinking human beat me."

Dib nearly fell over the brick wall, but quickly regained balance. "I beat you all the time." He said smugly, a flicker of a smile passing his lips for the first time in forever. He'd missed this, this thing with Zim. Whatever this **thing** was.

"SILENCE!" Zim jabbed his finger into Dib's chest. "You get lucky! LUCKY!"

Dib cringed and a soft groan passed his lips. His hands instinctively went to the area, pain entering his eyes.

Zim retracted his hand. For a moment he almost found himself feeling something, something absolutely wretched toward Dib. Was it guilt…pity? He grimaced and mentally gagged at the mere notion. "You are weak." He scoffed, hitting him again with little conviction.

Dib lashed out, snatching Zim's wrist and squeezing with intensity. He jerked Zim forward and slung him around at the brick wall. His eyes were dark and smiling as he did so. He didn't know it, but it was the same look the bullies shared when they tortured him.

Zim let out an overdramatized cry as he hit the wall. It did hurt a bit though. He pushed himself up off the wall, a deep scowl full of anger finding its way onto his face. "See?" He pointed a finger at Dib. He couldn't help but smile in an impressed way.

Dib stared in utter confusion. "See? See what? You hitting the wall?" He almost laughed.

Zim rolled his eyes. "No! Stooopid human!" His glare intensified. "You're fighting me! So why can't you fight those spineless creatures over there!" He jerked his finger over to them. They were far away, but Zim still sensed the quivers in Dib's body at the mention of them.

The fire left Dib's eyes. He snuck a glance their way and a shiver ran down his spine. "It's not the same." He murmured barely audibly as he dropped his gaze to the ground.

"Why not?" Zim was slightly offended by the implications. "I am mightier than any HUMAN!" He stood proud and tall, planting his hands on his hips.

Dib frowned deeply. "But you…" He rubbed his aching arm. "You don't do what they do."

"Oh, come on!" Zim scoffed. "I've shot lasers at you, had my evil gopher attack you, trapped you in a test tube, turned you into bologna and let dogs eat at you," He went on and on, counting off each event on his fingers.

A smile tugged at Dib's crestfallen face at the memories. "You never did it to hurt me though."

Zim burst out into uncontrollable laughter. He threw his head in the air and held desperately onto his sides. "I did it ALL to hurt you! ALL OF IT!"

Dib shook his head. "You did it because I was trying to stop your plans. If I left you alone, you wouldn't touch me." He raised a brow as if inviting Zim to disagree.

Zim calmed down almost instantly. He puffed his lip out in an indignant pout. "Nonsense!" He refused to look at Dib anymore. "I hurt you for fun! In fact – I have something coming for you soon." He snickered, rubbing his hands together diabolically. "It's oh so evil."

Dib rolled his eyes. "That's what you said two** weeks** ago." He almost smiled at Zim's lies. "And as far as I can tell, the only things coming after me are those stupid boys. So if you invented them, that's pretty amazing and I commend you for it." He waved his hands about as he went through the formality. "But it needs to stop."

Zim scoffed. "I would never invent something so disgustingly _human._" He shivered. "And besides," He crossed his arms over his chest. "Why would I sick them on you alone when I could have the whole world? It's just stupid. I don't want to see you suffer that badly."

"Whatever." Dib sighed. "It doesn't matter. Either way they're going to beat me up every day for the rest of my life." He hesitated as a thought floated to him. "That is, until they kill me." He grimaced.

Zim cringed despite himself. He was used to death, heck, he destroyed people from his own planet before. Still, something about this situation…something about the uneven odds…he didn't like it. "This is why I will so easily destroy you all!" Zim practically ignored Dib's depression. "You resign yourselves to you fates so easily. Puny earth monkey." He hissed, trying to get a reaction more than anything. Dib this way was just so wrong.

"Meh…" Dib shrugged. He walked off without a fight.

Zim stared after him, disappointment shining in his eyes. This was no fun if he wouldn't fight back. "Puny!" He screamed after him. But his last visages of hope were destroyed as Dib didn't even acknowledge him. He sighed, lowering his head. This was a problem. What was he going to do…?

**…**

It's Wednesday again, the hump day. Yesterday they hurt him again. He has new bruises on top of the ones from Monday. They hurt just as much if not worse than the old ones. He's sitting out on the edges of the skool ground on the concrete, his feet out on the black asphalt dragging circles on it. He rubbed his arm tenderly, cringing.

He wished he had someone to talk to about this. Unfortunately the one person that might have listened and comforted him was gone. His mother had been gone a long time, and he knew she wasn't coming back. That only left his father and sister. His father was definitely not the type to help with this or anything really. And his sister was worse. She wouldn't laugh, but she would scoff. She'd act much like Zim. He didn't know what to do. So he wallowed in self pity.

Zim once again watched him. He stood back and took in his appearance just as carefully as always. To most, even Dib, it was like he was scrutinizing the human for a weak point. They always did that to each other. Only that was not this case this time. Weakness was all too easy to spot in Dib without a second glance. No, right now he stared to understand.

Zim wanted to take note of every mark, even those hidden beneath Dib's clothes. He wanted to know just how bad the situation was for the boy – for them both. Because really, they were connected. One's pain was the other's even if they'd deny it when confronted. At least it was when they were not playing their games and trying to defeat each other. Then any damage was ok because they did it. Anyone else inflicting pain though…it didn't quite sit right with them, in this case Zim.

Zim took in all he could. Most notably he noticed the effort Dib was putting into keeping a straight face. Zim was sure Dib wanted to cry, but for some reason he refused. He didn't like that either. Maybe Zim wasn't capable of love, but that didn't mean he couldn't understand human emotions and the need to express them. Keeping feelings bottled up inside, it was not what was meant to happen.

Zim rather tentatively stepped forward. He walked from his spying post all the way to Dib. The troublesome human didn't seem to notice him even as he stood directly behind him. That or he was an amazing actor. The shadow Zim's body cast over him should have been easily seen. Then Zim finally broke the silence. "Again?" He was incredulous.

Dib jumped in his skin at the sudden intrusion. His heart skipped a beat and he caught his breath. The sudden jerking sent a wave of pain through his entire body. He groaned under his breath, clenching his eyes shut tight as he tried to force the pain away.

"How can you keep letting them do this?" Zim scolded. His eyes were intense as he watched what he could see of Dib's face from behind him.

Dib growled deep in his throat. "This again…" He grumbled. His muscles tightened and his stress level skyrocketed. "Can't you just leave me alone for once?" Dib looked to the side, refusing to let his gaze come anywhere near the stupid green alien.

"No." Zim said defiantly. "I won't!"

Dib sighed in a mixture of annoyance and misery. Couldn't Zim see that he wanted nothing to do with him right now? He was in no mood for his games. He just wanted to sit here and bemoan his very existence. It seemed no one else wanted him to exist anyway. So why not hate being alive himself?

Zim murmured incoherent words beneath his breath. "Get up!" He ordered, stamping a foot.

"No." Dib muttered. "Leave me alone."

Zim didn't think it through, he never did. He simply acted. He snapped his hand out and took a firm hold on Dib's arm. "Stop being stupid! You-"

Before the words were out of Zim's mouth, Dib let out a high pitched yelp. His eyes widened, breathing hitched, and pulse quickened. He too acted on instinct – only his was pure animal instinct. He lashed out, landing a powerful punch on his jaw.

Zim instantly released him. He stumbled back, nearly falling over. His jaw pounded with pain and it was all he could do to stifle a moan. He reached up and gently touched the afflicted area, even that stinging. He growled, his eyes narrowing at the stupid human before him and his mouth curving into a sharp frown. But more than anything, more than the pain, the anger, or the overwhelming desire to strike back, he was simply stunned.

Dib stared, his breathing still irregular. His chest moved with each frightened breath and his eyes remained as wide as ever. He too was shocked. He didn't mean to do that, he didn't want to do that, heck, he didn't even know he was about to do that until it was already over. "Zim…I…" He trailed off, lost for words. He almost said sorry, but was he? Didn't he take pleasure in making Zim miserable? And yet…this was different. This was wrong.

Zim stared back at him. He flashed him his bared teeth, a clear warning. "Scum." His words held an unmistakable edge, one that even their back and forths rarely had.

Dib cringed at his tone. _Scum…_ The word echoed endlessly. The boys said that a lot. _You worthless scum._ He hung his head, something like a choked sob escaping his lips. "Sorry…" His voice was barely above a whisper. There were even tears welling in his eyes despite his efforts.

The intensity slowly drained from Zim. "What?" He still sounded harsh, but a feeling akin to hope managed to slip into the word.

"Sorry." He said again, his voice cracking at the edges. "I didn't mean to…" He brushed at his eyes as the tears pressed harder to escape. He tried to be stealthy about it, but he knew it was a vain effort. Now Zim would laugh at him. He'd try harder to play the game that Dib had given up. He didn't have the energy to save the world anymore. All he could do was struggle against a breakdown.

Zim's expression wasn't exactly soft, but immense sadness took the place of the rage. It was a strange and foreign feeling. Irkens were not meant to experience many emotions, especially not toward others, even though they were capable of them. They were meant to conquer. So feeling this made his stomach flip. Feeling sadness for someone other than himself…he just didn't know about that.

"I'm sorry." Dib continued to murmur. He shook his head slowly back and forth. "I'm horrible." He lifted his hands up and buried his face in them in a last attempt to hide the oncoming tears.

Zim cringed at Dib's thoughtless admission. How could he say that? He wasn't the one attacking all the other children. He wasn't the one that laughed at him and Zim alike for being a little different, more than that though he wasn't responsible for the psychological damage done here. All he was guilty of was being odd. Honestly, Dib had never really hurt him aside from now. Dib was not in the wrong, he was not horrible. He was just another victim. "Dib stink…" He raised a hand from his side, reaching out. He stopped suddenly with his hand directly above Dib's shoulder. His hand trembled. He couldn't do it. It was just so strange.

Dib's sobs got a little stronger. No matter how hard he pressed his hand against his mouth he could not keep himself silent. Not even biting his tongue did any good. "Scum…" He mimicked the bullies. "Outcast…" He was almost rocking himself at this point. "Worthless…" A whimper passed his lips alongside the sobs. "Better off dead…" The tears finally slipped free, rolling down his face.

Then something snapped in Zim. He suddenly didn't care that they were enemies. Nothing mattered but ending this idiocy. Without another moment's hesitation he laid his hand on Dib's shaking shoulder. "Don't listen to them." He said with a softness so unlike him it almost made both their lips pucker as if eating something extremely sour and, for them, distasteful. "They speak lies."

Dib tentatively lifted his head from his hands to peer at Zim from the corner of his eye. He didn't care that his tear stained face was visible to him. He wanted to be able to pick the truth out of his lies. He **needed** to see if Zim really meant it.

Zim knew instantly what Dib was doing. He was picking apart every inch of his face. They'd done it to each other many times before, just not under these strange circumstances. "They're just smelly pig faces that feed on your misery like…" He scrunched his face up in thought. "Like…cannibals?" His face lit up. "Yes! Cannibals! They're _evil_ bone munching CANNIBALS!"

Despite his agony, Dib couldn't help but laugh lightly through his sobs. "Do you even know what a cannibal is?" He said with the faintest trace of happiness.

"Of course!" Zim cried, lifting his hand from Dib to throw it in the air. "Zim knows everything! Just like Zim knows how to make stinking earth monkeys fall before him!" He grinned wickedly.

Dib tilted his head to better look at Zim. His smile grew a tiny bit. "Of course." He wiped at his face. "Sometimes I forget." His sobs were still pretty strong and tears still fell, but they both came less frequently and slower.

"You mock me!" Zim demanded.

"Nah…" Dib slipped back toward the darkness. Mocking wasn't just a game anymore. It was not something fun between them. Now it was darker. It meant a new round of torture and hateful words spewed like venom at him. And it stung.

Zim grimaced. "Come on Dib filth." He tried to hide the fact he was pleading. "Try and stop me! I have a new super weapon." He grabbed a laser from out of nowhere. "I'm going to **destroy** your world in ten minutes if you don't catch me."

Dib sighed. "Zim…not now." He wiped again at his eyes. "It…it hurts too much." He finally spoke the truth. He finally told someone that this was more than a simple beating.

Zim's fire died. He was nearly pulled down with Dib. But he refused to give in! He walked around to Dib's front. "I know. My jaw won't let me forget." He said a bit snidely. He then quickly made sure to make it clear he did not truly mean to hurt Dib. "At least…just get up." He held a hand out to him.

Dib stared intently at the offer. The part of him that refused to forget about their games warned him against it. It was surely a trap. Still…he lifted a hand, letting it linger above Zim's for a while. He stopped as another part of him also warned him, but because of something completely different. It warned him that trust was precious and people rarely deserved to receive it. More than that, it also told him that Zim could be just like all the rest. He'd lure him in with his façade of kindness and then he'd torture him, just like the others.

Zim saw the pained indecision in Dib's sad eyes. Not just that, but there was also an unnatural amount of fear. This human had been scarred, horribly scarred. Zim would almost say he would not, perhaps could not, ever form proper bonds again. He put the laser back where he'd grabbed it. "I won't hurt you." His voice was tinged with sadness. He shouldn't have to say it, yet he did.

Dib let his hand fall down onto Zim's. It lay limp there, unwilling to make any kind of move. When it came to people, moving for him could result in a death sentence.

Zim gripped his hand and pulled. He brought Dib up to his feet so that they stood even with each other. They were almost exactly the same size. He quickly let go, not wanting to tempt things. Temp what – he wasn't particularly sure. But Dib was fragile right now. He was bound to snap and attack him like before. It was safer to keep a bit of distance. He even moved back a step. "Now walk."

Dib stared blankly at him. "What?" His said weakly.

"Are you deaf?" Zim frowned deeply. "Walk! Use your twiggy little legs," He held his hand out flat like the floor and demonstrated by walking two of his fingers like legs across it. "And walk."

The sobs had died completely at this point and only single tears here and there dripped from his eyes. So it was easy to laugh, even if it was a soft and almost feeble response. "But…what about skool?" He tilted his head ever so slightly.

Zim scoffed. "Do you **want** to get killed at the end of the day?" It was rhetorical and meant to be playful, but it didn't really come off that way. He cringed at his stupidity.

Dib's face fell, but he did not slip as far this time. "No." He breathed. "Please…don't let them hurt me again."

Zim grimaced at how desperate and pitiful Dib managed to be. "Just walk." He said without feeling. He started walking, expecting for Dib to follow but never checking to make sure he did.

Dib scampered to catch up with Zim. He soon fell into line beside him. Silence crept in on them and tried to consume them as they journeyed to Dib's house. It was only broken as Dib murmured with all the feeling in the world, "Thanks…"

Zim perked, looking over at Dib. He stared intently at the human. For what? He'd done nothing. At least he didn't think so. Honestly he believed he'd hurt Dib a lot more than he'd helped. But before he could respond with words, Dib spoke again.

"You're the only one who didn't hurt me…even though I hurt you."

Zim sighed. "Zim needs no thanks." He shook his head. "Zim only needs for you to walk." Secretly he really did appreciate the praise, a lot. Actually, it might have been a little more complicated than that though. Zim thought for the briefest of moment's that it was because it was Dib's praise that it meant so much more than usual.

Dib smiled warmly to himself, the first true smile in ages. "Ok."

Zim noticed the smile and couldn't help but be affected by it. He too smiled despite himself. "But you're welcome anyway."

**…**

It's Thursday. The other day was the nicest day Dib had had in a long time. Zim followed him all the way to his house and even hung around a little while after. They watched tv and ate popcorn together. It was strange, not quite in the norm for them, but at the same time it fit. Considering the circumstances it was exactly how it should have been. They didn't say much, only commenting here and there on the movie.

About halfway through the movie Dib started nodding in and out. He barely remembered much after that, all he knows is that at one point he fell over on Zim and Zim didn't react. Zim couldn't have been asleep, even as exhausted as Dib was he saw this. And somehow Zim's tolerance made a long extinguished flame flicker to life, casting a soft pleasant glow that flowed throughout his entire body and filled him with something similar to happiness. Finally, there was someone who didn't recoil at his touch and didn't shove him away or punch him for being weird.

When he woke up it was morning and he was alone – again. His spirits sank, but they remained relatively higher than they'd been in a while. So he started the day, the soon to come horror, all over again. Perhaps Zim would help him get away again. He couldn't do it on his own, even as simple as it was. He needed someone to escape with. He didn't know why, it was just this feeling. And he trusted his feelings.

But Zim didn't offer. So he was beaten once more.

Dib fought harder, but still it did no good. He just didn't have what it took. About ten minutes later he was trudging home. It was shorter today. That was always good. His outfit was torn and there was yet another layer of bruises. He wondered how many more layers he could take before a permanent mark was left, one that went so deep even his bones remembered. Then he thought that perhaps it had already happened. Maybe these would never heal, even if the bullies left him alone. He'd walk around as the forever bruised freak.

Dib kicked hard at a rock in his path. His toe stubbed on the concrete and he let out a loud snarl. He turned sharply and kicked the brick wall. He was stupid, but he couldn't help it at the moment. He was just so angry – angry at bullies, angry at himself. He even found himself angry at Zim on some level.

He sighed, twirling his miraculously unharmed umbrella in his hand. At least that was one thing not to hate. Not only had it at least helped him fight back, but it would probably help him with the weather too. He forced a smile. At least that was something.

A low rumbling issued across the sky. And it was definitely going to rain. The sky glowered darkly down at him and all the others. He guessed it was the reason the bullies had stopped so quickly. Normally it went on for an hour or so and he didn't get home until dark. He flashed the ominous clouds a smile. Something was on his side today. He was just slightly disappointed it wasn't Zim.

A streak of lightening lit up the sky. Dib opened his umbrella and held it over his head. It was better to be safe than sorry. He'd learned that long ago. His ears rang with a sudden clap of thunder. Then the rain began to fall. It was a soft drizzle at first, gentle and almost soothing as it washed over the world. He wanted to feel that – the soothing touch he'd long been without. So he reached his free hand out as he walked on. The constant beating was almost like a heartbeat in his hand, one that died and revived with the casual closing and reopening of his hand.

It was such a nice feeling that he unconsciously lowered the umbrella and let the full force of the rain fall on him. He tilted his head up toward the sky, breathing in deeply. Most people thought rain didn't have a scent, but to him it did, and right now the smell was all too perfect. It reminded him of his mother. She surrounded him in the rain, wrapping her arms around him and holding him tightly like he so remembered as a toddler.

He let his eyes slip shut so he could fully enjoy this. Without sight, he delved into a world where he was the world. His mother loved him dearly and she showered him with affection. She was the same with Gaz and Gaz actually liked it. But that was because she was just a baby. Still, it was nice. "Mom…"

Behind closed lids the light of the lightning flashed brightly enough for him to see. Instantly after the thunder boomed. He barely reacted. The rain was getting heavier now though. It came down like a gentle beating. It stung his skin ever so slightly, yet it was not bad. Compared to his beating, it was like a tender, numbing touch.

It got harder and harder and soon it kind of hurt. Dib reopened his eyes and lifted the umbrella back over his head. He needed to get home. This was looking bad. The rain was quickly turning over into a possible hurricane. They hadn't had one of those in a long time, so he doubted it would come to that. Still, the wind was picking up regardless and tiny bits of hail fell here and there. It was safer to be indoors. So he started walking.

No more than a couple of steps forward and there was a sudden, sharp screech that split the air. Dib jolted forward and his eyes shot open. He searched fervently about him. That voice…it had to be him. Dib shot into a run, his feet pounding against the pavement and creating large splashes as he went. "Zim!" He found himself yelling. "Zim!"

Zim had lingered at the skool after the others were heading home. He'd stayed to watch and perhaps, just this once, help the human stink that was Dib. He didn't of course and he felt kind of bad for that, just not bad enough. That's why he was where he was now. Karma.

He'd started walking, mindful of the darkening clouds. He knew he needed to get back to his base before the storm hit. All the kids said it would be bad. He laughed in the moment, but deep down he was squirming and dying. He hated rain, and of all the days…this was the one he'd forgotten to wear paste. So he walked quickly.

The first drops hit when he was halfway there. His breathing quickened and he turned his pace into a run. He would have called Gir, but that little robot had gone and run off earlier today so he probably wasn't even within range. Then, without warning, it came in an onslaught. The rain poured as if a bucket in the sky had been tipped over. No, worse, an endless bathtub.

The drizzle was bad enough. It burned his skin lightly and made him twitch as he went. Now though, now it was unbearable. He shrieked in utter agony as the acidic liquid ate away at him. He could barely lift his legs it became so overwhelming to his senses and soon, so close to home, he finally collapsed. He tripped over himself and hit the wet, unforgiving ground with a thud.

For a minute he attempted to pull himself along. It took every bit of his strength and he got nowhere fast. Soon, he couldn't even manage to move of his own accord at all. Instead Zim was victim to instinctive trashing as he moaned loudly. He rolled around as if to extinguish the pain much like one would a flame. Unfortunately this was not a human flame, water did not stop it. Water was the flame. And nothing but the sun could make it stop. Only it wasn't coming. He was being abandoned. Just like always.

Zim's screams quickly made his throat raw and the sound barely made it past his chapped lips. He whined pitifully, scratchily. His eyes grew heavy and his breathing became shallow. He reached a feeble, shaking hand up and out as if trying to grab at something like a last vestige of hope. Only he never could quite take hold of it.

His vision was blurring now too. This was it. This was the end. He was really going to die. His mission…the Tallest…Gir…and even…Dib. And for once in his life, he did not move. Besides his hand lingering in the air, the last sign of life, his body was stiff and there was no energy to bounce back like in his fights with Dib. End game.

Dib knew he should have turned right when he reached the split, but he didn't. Instead of heading home, he followed the dying sounds of a once powerful scream. He had to. He knew what they entailed. And this rain was _bad_. While it stood to reason Zim should be fine with his paste and he was more than likely being overdramatic about something or another, he just had this feeling. Those earlier screams were blood curdling. Zim was in trouble.

He ran like the devil was at his heels. Even as his breathing grew ragged and his stamina came up on empty he didn't slow down. With the intensity of the rain Zim wouldn't have long. Dib dared to hope the little lizard managed to get out of the brunt of the storm and that this was the reason his screams had tampered off, but an undeniable fear gripped him despite his best efforts.

"Zim!" He called out. He didn't expect a response. If Zim was out in this, he would be almost dead if not already. A chill ran through him at the mere thought. A jolt of energy ran through him then and he was spurred on with even more determination and speed.

He came to a sudden halt no more than a minute later. He skidded on the concrete and nearly fell over with his quick stop. "Zim." He breathed, his heart skipping a beat. He shot forward, throwing himself down on his knees. He made sure to hold the umbrella at the right angle to shield Zim from the toxic water. "Zim!" He shook him lightly with his free hand.

Zim didn't move. Not the tiniest twitch of a muscle or breath of sound occurred to show he was still alive. For all any passerby knew, he was indeed dead.

Dib's heart clenched. "Zim." He tried again, awkwardly lifting Zim up off the ground and holding him. "Wake up!" He demanded almost threateningly, an undeniable twinge of sadness etched in his tone. "Zim!"

Finally the tension was eased. A small, soft groan squeezed past Zim's lips. His closed eyes fluttered open and his shallow breathing evened out. "Dib…" For once in his life he used Dib's name. He was so out of it, so grateful even, that he couldn't help it.

An enormous smile spread across Dib's face. He nodded fervently, his eyes alight. "Yeah."

Zim made another sound of pain as he forced himself to sit up and out of Dib's hold. "You…saved me." He was slowly but surely finding his voice and senses. Although the latter must have been damaged in some way by the harsh rain because he still couldn't squelch the happiness and gratitude which swelled within him toward the Dib.

Dib continued nodding, slowly now. "Uh-huh." He was still so numb. His whole body tingled with an overwhelming sensation that he could only describe as relief. It overpowered all other senses. "I did." He said it more to himself than Zim.

Zim stared with widening eyes up at Dib. His skin was still steaming even out of the rain, but the pain was thankfully decreasing. He could feel his limbs again, each individually instead of as one mass of agony. "Why?" He found himself asking.

Dib opened his mouth to answer, but found that no words came out. His mouth remained wide and his expression slipped into blankness. Why? That was a good question. They were supposed to be enemies after all. He tried desperately to expose Zim while Zim tried to destroy the world. What reason was there for him to help the alien? At least he wanted to pretend that it made no sense. Really, realization was slowly dawning on him. Zim was always there for him.

But before Dib could muster the strength and courage to admit his weakness, Zim moved. He threw himself at Dib and wrapped his arms tightly around Dib's neck. He rested his head on Dib's shoulder and breathed in a deep, shaky breath. "Thank you Dib stin-" He caught himself before it was completely out. "I mean…Dib." He hugged Dib a little tighter. He really had lost it, all semblance of sanity. Here he was, hugging his mortal enemy. Who did that? Certainly not an Irken soldier! Still…he'd been so scared, so sure of death, and yet this human smelly saved him. Despite all odds and all logic, Dib had saved him. The proof was right before him. And Irkens did not ignore debts.

Dib was stunned speechless. He stared wide eyed at Zim. This was so out of character. He had to wonder if the massive amount of water exposure had done something to him. The best he could do in the moment was make sure the umbrella covered them. The rain was still pounding, creating a smacking sound against the umbrella that was a bit unsettling.

Zim quickly came to his senses. He jerked back, withdrawing his arms and looking nervous. He smiled sheepishly for an instant before his expression settled into a deep frown and scowl. "Don't touch me, HUMAN!" He accused, still undeniably pleased with the events. He felt warm from the contact with Dib even though the boy was soaked to the bone and it showed in the twitch at the corners of his mouth.

Dib frowned faintly. "I didn't…" He sighed, shrugging and not bothering to finish. It wasn't worth it. He was still too happy with Zim being alright. "Whatever. I just…" He rubbed his head in nervousness. "You're welcome."

Zim tried to keep up his irritated front, but it was not in the realm of possibility. He felt something like a smile trying to force its way onto his features.

Dib coughed once. "So…you're alright then?" He cocked his head to the side slightly.

Zim smirked. "Of course!" He attempted to boast. "Zim is not so weak as to succumb to a little _rain_." He breathed the final word as if it were a curse. "What do you think I am? A defenseless human worm baby?" He scowled darkly at the notion. "Not on your life."

"Fine." Dib rolled his eyes, smiling despite himself. "Then I guess you can go home now." He said it half intending to hurt Zim's pride and feelings and half without thinking it through. He really had forgotten for a split second that the whole reason behind this ordeal was because Zim could in fact not just be out in the rain like all the other kids. He was different…unique. So he had to be treated differently. Differently good or differently bad all depended on the circumstances. Right now Dib should be acting kinder. He just wasn't thinking.

Zim grimaced and dropped his eyes to the ground. That hurt. Then again he supposed he deserved it on some level. "You know I can't…" He murmured, dragging a foot around on the ground to further display his nervous shame. "Not alone…"

Dib cringed. "Oh. Right." He glanced up at his umbrella. "You, um, want it then?" He waved the umbrella to indicate it. He made sure not to move it too much though so that Zim did not get out in range of the rain.

Zim brought his gaze back up. He stared in wonder at the human. "Really?" Even though he wanted to sound indifferent and as if he hated the idea of being offered any sort of thing, especially protection, from a human, he pretty much failed. The edge of relief seeped into his tone.

Dib nodded. "Sure." He moved the umbrella directly over Zim so that he was now half in the rain himself. "Here." He took Zim's hand and opened it up before placing the stem of the umbrella in it. He then closed his hand for him again.

Zim let him do as he wished. He held the umbrella firmly and sighed with happiness. "You're dumb Dib stink." They both knew he didn't mean it. "Sacrificing your shelter for another – an enemy!"

Dib scoffed. "I'm not sacrificing anything." Dib shook his head in amusement. "It's just a little water. I'll dry off. You though," His mouth slipped into a slight frown. "You'll really die without it."

Zim swallowed hard. "Nonsense!" He tried to snap back. He didn't sound very intimidating or even angry. He came off as ashamed if anything. "Mighty Irken soldiers fear nothing." He shoved his head into the air defiantly. He knew with the utmost certainty though that he did in fact fear it – the venomous rain.

Dib chortled under his breath. "Ok." He nodded faintly, stepping back from Zim and out into the full force of the rain. "I just forget sometimes. You know, because humans always fear something. Even me, I…" He trailed off, averting his eyes. What was he doing? Was he about to reveal his greatest fear to his mortal enemy? He was insane, he literally had lost his mind.

Zim raised an invisible brow. "You? Afraid?" He was quite interested in this. Not only could he use this against the human, but…but…but what? What was he thinking? Did he actually for the briefest of moments think that instead of hurting him with it he could help the Dib? He shivered. Stupid. Absolutely stupid.

Dib pressed his lips tightly together. Maybe another day. "Yes. I won't deny it." He subtly made a jab at the fact Zim was hiding his fears. "Because, you know, suppressing your fears is bad for you. Er, I mean, humans anyway. If Irkens don't have fear then it can't be bad for them." He shrugged.

Zim understood his subtlety. He chose to ignore it though, simply nodding his agreement. Besides, Dib knew his fear. He didn't need Zim to admit it to him. They both knew this, much like a lot of things they knew about each other. It was similar to their fights. They fought with all they had, yet at the same time they didn't. They didn't want to kill or badly hurt each other. It was much closer to a fun little game. Neither would ever win. Cat and mouse – that was their game.

"Well, I'm gonna go." Dib took another step back. It was getting quite chilly. He might catch a cold out in this monster of a storm if he did not hurry home. "See you at skool, I guess." He cringed at the mention of that hell hole. He wondered if he would just skip tomorrow. Wednesday had been pure bliss. Still, without skool…there was no Zim.

Zim nodded vaguely. Just as vaguely he murmured, "I'm sorry."

Dib froze in his tracks, jerking his gaze up to meet Zim's. "W-What?" He gasped.

Zim tore his eyes from Dib and scowled at the ground. "Nothing. I said you're stupid for coming to skool every day. Everyone hates you and no one cares if you're there or not. It's stupid to keep coming! All you get is beaten up!" His bared teeth showed as his lips curled back into a snarl.

Dib started. He wasn't sure how to take this. Was Zim angry that Dib came because it meant he wouldn't want to play their games? Was he mad that Dib was making him look bad by failing at fighting them yet wiping the floor with his green alien butt? Or…was it something more? Was he actually mad that Dib got himself hurt every day? Was it personal? "Zim…"

"So just don't come!" He ordered, pointing his finger out to the edges of the umbrella. "Don't come or **I'll** beat you myself." He warned. He knew he wouldn't, couldn't in fact, yet he said it anyway. He didn't know why, but he suddenly felt the need to keep the stupid human away from the source of his pain. He'd saved him after all. Zim owed him his life. The least he could do was threaten him away from the skool.

Dib snorted. He smiled at Zim's pitiful attempts at being sneaky in his endeavor. He was so transparent it almost wasn't funny. He wouldn't say it though. He'd go along with it. "Sorry Zim." He shrugged. "Skool and grades is the only thing I have anymore. Even if it means getting killed…I have to go. Otherwise, my dad-he…he won't…" He shook his head fervently, clenching his eyes closed as he held his head down low.

Zim cocked his head to the side. Affection was never something he understood very well. Love was mushy and painful, at least from his experience with Tak, and friendship was creepy courtesy of Keef. Parental love was probably the strangest form though. He never had parents. So the Dib's need to win his father's affection by all means baffled him. It wasn't like his father was his leader, like the Tallests. Nothing could be won by impressing him, nothing but love. And love was meaningless. So why did the Dib hurt so much when he lacked it?

Dib let out a bitter single syllable laugh. "Never mind." He sighed. "You wouldn't understand." He peeked up at Zim. "Would you? You don't have parents."

Zim frowned at this despite how truthful it was. "So." He growled. "I don't need to have parents to understand parents and the…child, bond…_thing_." He kind of did. Even his Roboparents didn't do much for him in the path to understanding. Honestly he wanted to kill them half the time.

Dib rolled his eyes. "Whatever." He turned away from Zim. He stopped only to look back over his shoulder for a fleeting moment. "And I **am** coming tomorrow. I can't stay away." A sadness came to his eyes. "I just can't, no matter what." And he walked away. But he had to wonder, why was he really going? Just for dad, or was it Zim now too?

Zim stared after him until he was well out of sight. His eyes were tinged with an irritated sadness and his mouth was a deep frown. "Stupid Dib filth." He mumbled to himself as the rain fell even harder. "Nothing is more important than life." Especially not his life. He made a strange disgusted sound as the thought snuck up on him. How disturbing. He shook it off quickly and turned on his heel, hurrying down the sidewalk as if to escape the nasty thought.

He never did though. It followed him from there until he entered the base. It pestered him all through the night and nothing he did made it go away. Dib was going to get himself killed. He ran his hand over his face in utter annoyance. He was sentencing himself to death with his stupidity. It made Zim furious. Who would he fight with if that happened?

He sighed, sinking down onto the couch. He understood the anger. But…why did it make him feel so very sad…?

**…**

It was the day – Friday. It was the day the bullies tried their hardest to torture him because, hey, it was the last day before they would have to go a whole weekend without contact with him. It was a horror for them both, but for the exact opposite reasons. Dib loved the weekend, but hated the last day. They loved the last day of the week, but hated the weekend.

The day was coming to a close now. The bell would ring any minute now and release them. It made Dib shudder just thinking about it. He almost wished skool would last forever this one time. Then he wouldn't have to face the bullies, the torture, and the eventual disregard his father and sister showed toward him. And that, perhaps, was worse than any amount of bruises and broken bones the bullies could ever give him.

The sound was sharp, jarring. It reverberated in his head and made him jump a mile even though he'd been anticipating it. The kids flew from the confines of the prison known as class. Only to Dib it was more of a sanctuary. But at this stage of the day, it lost its protective powers. SO he fled.

He shot out the door, pushing past swarms of children. He even knocked down a few in his rush. He muttered insincere apologizes, not stopping to help. He had to get out. He had to make it off skool grounds. Then perhaps he had a chance of eluding the bullies.

He flew down the stairs, jumping them instead of walking like everyone else. He looked hurriedly around, his eyes wild with fear. Still no sign of them. He ran again. His feet pounded against the concrete much like his heart beat against his chest. His breathing was getting heavier. But he didn't slow down. He couldn't afford to.

"HEY!" A harsh voice reached him. Dib stumbled at the unexpected intrusion. "HEY, YOU!"

Dib caught himself and hurried on. He didn't look back. He'd read that doing that made a person slower. He wanted to test it. If he got away, he'd believe it fully. He never got away. As he rounded the corner he grabbed the brick wall to turn himself faster. He released it quickly, propelling him to gain an even greater lead.

As he focused more on his surroundings he noticed the one thing that might save him. He gasped, a new hope lighting in him. "Zim." He breathed, picking up his pace as much as was possible with his spur of energy.

Zim walked casually along the sidewalk. As he went he grumbled angry words to himself. He was learning not to be so loud about his cursing of the human race. Some of them, like the bullies, could be unpredictable. While they were undoubtedly still stupid they recognized insults on occasion. "Stupid earth smellies. Who do they think they are, tricking me? And trying to hit me. No one messes with Zim. NO ONE!" Zim shook his fist in the air.

"Don't let him get away!" The leader cried.

Zim turned to see what was going on, only making it halfway before a force collided with him. He grunted and stumbled backward. His eyes flashed with fury and he instinctively spun the rest of the way around to give whoever bumped into him a piece of his mind.

Dib scrambled around Zim and latched onto his shoulders for dear life. His body trembled and he was so unsure of his course of action that his knees were about ready to buckle. It was all he could do just to remain standing and continue breathing, even if shakily.

Zim brought his eyes back toward Dib. He gave him a disapproving look, a deep frown setting on his face. He was about to tell him off when again those annoying bullies broke through his thoughts. "Whadaya think you're doing?" the leader said, staring them down menacingly. "Don't think for even a second that you can hide behind your faggy friend!"

Zim's eye twitched. "Friend!" He was incredulous. "I'm not the Dib's _friend_." He made a disgusted face at the mere notion. "NEVER!" He completely ignored the true insult in the comment.

"Then out of the way." Another kid ordered.

Dib whimpered behind Zim. His lip trembled and eyes filled with tears. He even pressed his face between the alien's shoulder blades as if to hide himself better.

Zim glanced back at Dib once more. He could feel the human shaking against him. It was pathetic. No Irken would be caught dead acting so spineless. Yet he couldn't deny it, he felt bad for him. He knew he shouldn't because it was weakness to feel for anyone but one's self. Still he felt it all the same. More than that, he felt a certain anger swell within him as thoughts of Dib being dragged away and beaten crossed his mind. "No."

"What?" A third growled. He was second in command and just as ruthless if not more so that the leader. The only reason he wasn't the leader was because he didn't have the size to intimidate like the others.

"You shall not touch Dib stink." The nickname passed his lips from instinct. He clenched his hands into fists and scowled threateningly up at them. "Only **I** may be allowed to touch him."

The bullies tried to meet his threat with equal hatred, but it wasn't possible. The way he worded it was absolutely hilarious. They cracked up. Their laughter became so intense that it hurt and they had to hold their sides.

"What!" Zim stamped his foot. "What is so funny!" His lips curled back into a snarl.

"You could **not** sound any gayer." One of the kids cackled.

"Gay?" His eyes bulged. "Zim? NEVER! Zim does not love! Especially not you…human..." He flipped his hand about as he tried to think of the right word. When he couldn't, he settled on his old nicknames, "…stink things…"

The leader cleared his throat and settled down. "Whatever." He chuckled once more before standing straight. "I don't care if you love him or hate him or just want to be nice. But you're **going** to hand him over." He narrowed his eyes. "NOW."

Dib gripped Zim's shoulders harder. He was sure any minute now his only line of defense was going to throw his hands in the air and say 'ok. Take him.' It was such a Zim-like thing to do. Holding on was his only way of following Zim even if he tried to ditch him. Honestly he was surprised Zim had said no the first time. Did it have something to do with the rain incident?

Zim stood firmer. "Never." He hissed. "Back off now or suffer my wrath." He'd never done it before, afraid of the outcome, but he would do it this time. If these bullies pushed much harder he'd give them a real reason to fear him and the might of the Irken race.

The leader gave a single syllable laugh. "Bullshit." He scoffed. He closed the distance between them and grabbed onto Zim's collar. He lifted him so they were at eye level with each other. "You pansy. You don't have enough 'wrath' to kill a fly."

Dib made a whining sound as Zim was pulled away from him. He hands slipped down, but he refused to let go. He clung to Zim's shirt, threatening to rip it.

Zim's eyes sparked with fire. In one swift move his PAK activated and spider legs shot out. He coiled them around the boy and squeezed like a snake. He let his grip get tighter and tighter, his dark smirk growing more pronounced with every passing moment. As if the boy's fear wasn't bad enough, he also raised one of his legs and pointed it at his chest, making soft thrusting movements as if he would plunge it straight through the child's heart.

The leader was transformed in an instant. No longer was he the strong, unstoppable bully. He was reduced to a scared child. His heart clenched and his body trembled. "W-What **are **you?" He said in gaspy breaths as he slowly lost his ability to breathe.

Zim snickered evilly. "You're worst nightmare." His gaze flickered between all the members of his gang, daring them to make a move. For they would all be next.

The other boys shook with equal fear. They remained there only because their legs felt like stone. They were frozen. A single flick of another of Zim's appendages and they were spurred into action. They ran screaming down the sidewalk, not giving a second glance to Zim or their still trapped leader.

Zim let out a victorious laugh. "FOOLS!" He lessened his grip on his captive. "And you." He growled deep in his throat. "You will not get anywhere near me or the Dib. Or I will perform _horrible_ experiments on you." He tapped his spider leg on the boy's chest. "Understand?"

The boy nodded fervently.

"Good." He released him. "Now, BE GONE WITH YOU!" He waved his hand animatedly.

The boy didn't hesitate. He scampered away like a terrified puppy. And he swore that he would never ever mess with those weirdos again, especially not Zim. And as long as Zim was around, Dib was just as scary.

The tension flowed out of Dib then. His muscles relaxed and a heavy sigh shuddered out of him. "Yes…" He breathed. "YES!" He threw his arms in the air. "FINALLY! They're gone! GONE!" He danced around. His previous cowardice was as good as forgotten.

Zim retracted his spider legs, growling softly. "You're pathetic." He scoffed at Dib. He turned and walked on as he had been before the interruption. He stood straight and almost strutted as he went.

Dib continued his merriment, oblivious to Zim's departure. He only realized that Zim was quite a ways away when he went to thank him, but found emptiness next to him. "Hey." He looked around him. "Hey!" He ran to catch up. "So you're just going to leave then?"

Zim stared forward, refusing to look at the human filth. He was already mad enough over protecting Dib in the first place. Not to mention these stupid feelings that prompted the action. It was ridiculous! He just wanted to go home and not deal with anything that he didn't already know how to handle – like Gir.

"Zim." Dib pressed further. "Come on, you can't ignore me!" He darted in front of Zim to block off his path. "And besides, I wanted to say-"

"Dib!" Zim snapped. "I just want to be left alone." He growled. He tried to make his way around him. But with every move he made, Dib followed him. "Stop it!"

"I just want to thank you." Dib said with mild aggravation. He half laughed. "I kinda thought you might just throw me to them for fun. Even after…" He trailed off, not wanting to bring up what happened all of a sudden.

Zim snorted and crossed his arms. "Irkens are soldiers." He stated. "We take pride in battle and conquering, but we also don't forget debts." He averted his eyes. "So I repaid mine. Now I owe you nothing. Leave me alone." He tried to go around Dib again.

Dib let him, but he continued to walk next to him. "You really think they'll leave me alone?" He whispered. His eyes fell to his feet with his returning fear.

Zim couldn't help but sneak a glance. "Unless they want a spike through their heart they will."

Dib snorted in faint amusement. "I thought you said you weren't going to help me anymore." It was half a question, half a statement.

He turned swiftly, defensive. "I never-" He stopped himself. He had actually. "I mean, my Irken debt for the same instances must be honored." He puffed out his chest slightly and tried to look mighty.

Dib simply smiled at his attempt. "You know, you can just say you care."

Zim's face whitened. "W-What? Zim? Care? NEVER!" He was wide eyed as he ranted and his breathing was a little too fast.

"Relax. It's what we humans consider normal."

"But I-no, you-I mean-" He stumbled through his words.

"So you're normal now." Dib grinned. "People won't believe me even more than before. You've won again." He chuckled.

Zim scowled. "But I'm **not** 'normal'. I don't need to _care_. They'll believe me without it. I don't want this stupid human emotion!" What was he saying? He didn't have it in the first place. "Irkens feel no love!"

Dib raised a brow. "You said that before." He noted. "Is it true?" He cocked his head.

Zim looked away, thinking heavily on the matter. "I don't know." He sighed heavily. "We're not supposed to anyway. So I…I think there's something wrong with me."

"Don't be stupid." Dib scoffed. "There's nothing wrong with you. You're just different. Everyone's different."

"But we're not!" Zim snapped. "We **look** different, but unlike you humans we aren't supposed to act different. We're machines of war. We're meant to fight, not sympathize or _love_." He shivered at the word.

"Well, I'm glad you're different. Otherwise, who would I save the world from?" He smiled.

Zim snorted. "Emotions have nothing to do with our battles. You could defend your world without them. All they do is make people do stupid things."

Dib smiled sadly. "Like helping me instead of defeating me while I was down?"

Zim growled lightly. "Exactly. If I was a normal Irken, you'd all be dead now."

It was quiet for a moment. The silence wrapped itself around them and made them uneasy. Then Dib spoke, "Well, like I said, I'm glad you're not. Even if you destroy the Earth someday, I'll still be glad you came and were the way you were."

Zim made a gagging sound.

Dib rolled his eyes. "Because, you know, I owe you too."

Zim started. "What?" He made a face. "No you don-" He stopped short, realization dawning on him. He snorted. "Stupid human."

Dib smiled mischievously.

"Well I **don't** owe you." He shoved his head into the air.

"I know you don't." Dib smiled in content anyway. "And you always will…"

"BE QUIET!" Zim shrieked.

Dib laughed. He didn't care that Zim denied it. That only made it more apparent it was the truth. That was good enough for now. One day he'd admit it. But for now their silent agreement was enough. Besides, that's how a lot of child friendships worked anyway. It was the one way they were normal.

As he laughed Zim couldn't help but smile himself. He did care. It was horrible to admit, but he did. Even if it made him a defective on his home, he would admit it to himself. And he'd always protect the Dib from stupid people like the bullies. Maybe even one day he'd be ready to accept the fact that they were friends, and had been for a long time.

**It's ZaDF! It's ZaDF! It's ZaDF! I told you I'd say it again. Anyway, I love them as friends. If the show does manage to come back I will look forward to this. ZaDR on the other hand is not my cup of tea. Luckily it's not the creator's either.**

**I hope you liked it. It was based on a few pictures on deviantart. The main one was 'Back Off' By ToastyGoodness. That's actually all it was supposed to be - a scene of Zim protecting Dib. But I always have to develop my stories so one thing lead to another and before I knew it I'd covered four other scenes. I like it though. I like it a lot actually. Even though I'm not sure I captured their complicated rivalry/friendship perfectly I'm still pretty proud of it.**

**What do you think? Could I have done better? Was it good enough? What did you like? Constructive criticism is much appreciated. Please review!**


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